Feeling the Strain: Understanding the Relationship between Stress and Physical Activity in Members of the Royal Canadian Navy

Author:

Guérin Eva12ORCID,Gottschall Shannon1

Affiliation:

1. Department of National Defence, Director General Military Personnel Research and Analysis , Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2, Canada

2. Department of Psychology, Carleton University , Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction Research finds that experiencing psychological stress can be associated with engaging in less physical activity, a critical contributor to operational readiness and overall health and well-being. As navy personnel tend to engage in lower levels of physical activity than other military personnel, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between stress and physical activity in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and identify moderators of this relationship. Materials and Methods Data for this study were obtained from an electronic workplace well-being survey administered to a stratified random sample of 930 members in hard sea occupations managed by the RCN. Multivariable logistic regressions examined the associations between indicators of stress (e.g., job stress, burnout, work-life conflict, and psychological distress) and physical activity engagement; the moderating effects of demographic/military characteristics and health status (e.g., rank, gender, sailing status, general health status, and body mass index [BMI]) were examined. Results Navy personnel who were married or in common-law relationships and those who reported poorer overall health were less likely to be physically active. Navy personnel with lower psychological distress were more likely be active (P = .03); however, direct associations with other indicators of stress were not significant. BMI was the only significant moderator of the relationship between stress and physical activity. Specifically, for members classified as obese, higher levels of burnout and work-life conflict were associated with being more physically active. Conversely, nonobese members with elevated burnout reported less physical activity. Conclusions The findings of this study support a complex relationship between experiencing stress and engaging in physical activity, which showed varying patterns based on BMI classification. Although the cross-sectional nature of the data precludes any inferences about the direction of these effects, the results suggest that some members of the RCN are more at risk of experiencing decrements in physical activity. Future research should examine the types of physical activity supports and incentives that are needed to ensure that navy personnel derive the benefits of an active lifestyle, especially in times of stress.

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3